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Rare mudfish returning home

The NZ Transport Agency is putting the finishing touches on a new home for a colony of rare black mudfish discovered in the Waikato.

A large population of the fresh water fish was found living in a drain in the path of the Rangiriri section of the Waikato Expressway.

Before construction work started, they were captured and moved to tanks at the University of Waikato, where they were cared for by a team of ecologists until workers finished creating a new habitat near their original swampland home.

The Transport Agency’s Waikato highway manager, Kaye Clark, said the mudfish would be released back into their new home in early September.

“Our contractor, Fletcher Construction, guided by ecologists, their environmental consultant Mike McConnell, designer MWH and the Department of Conservation, are putting the final touches on the new habitat at the moment,” she said.

“The new habitat measures approximately 500m2, more than three times the size of the area the mudfish were initially found in.

The NZ Transport Agency works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads.